New Aquaintance
by hylian-dragoness
Summary: AU Giving the sword to Zelda in the beginning of TP wasn't the first time Link was out of Hyrule. When young, he went to Altea and met Marth, Ike, Roy, and Pit, only to become friends and to be torn apart and stuck together again after war. Yaoi MarthLink
1. Getting Aquainted

This is a story that I'm currently working on. It is Marth/Link, Ike/Pit, and perhaps Roy/Zelda. Well, Roy/someone, I'm sure XD I'd put this in the SSB archive but it only has FE, LoZ, and KI characters, so I'm sticking it in the X overs of Zelda and Fire Emblem. Based off of Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, and Super Smash Brothers Brawl. Ah, here's the author's note I posted on dA...

_HOLY CRAP. That took foreverrrrr to type. And it's only part one |D but I believe that this will probably be the longest chapter._

If you don't know who anyone is, google them or wikipedia them XD All characters in Shadow Dragon

Well. I have no idea what surged this on XD Bitch to write, though. I think it was because I that that if Link could go to Hyrule to deliver a gift to the princess, couldn't he deliver one to royalty of a different country, like a tribute or a peace gift? About 21 pages in MS word, size 11 font, single spaced! I guess this could be seen as a very close Marth/Link friendship, but it will evolve into a slash.

This is based on TP Link and SD (Shadow Dragon) Marth and Brawl Ike and Melee Roy. It won't have all Brawl characters, so this is practically a crossover. I've done my research, so I know that it's impossible for Roy, Ike, AND Marth to exist at the same time, since I think that they're born a few centuries apart from each other, but guess what? It's the power of fanfiction But I think that it's logical for Marth and Link to be about the same age because OoT happened at least 100 years before TP and Anri, the hero of Altea, existed 100 years bfore Marth, sooo...they coulda met? (Shut up, let me have my moment!)

Pit MAY come into the picture; if he does, it's gonna be an Ike/Pit, most likely. And I'm thinking on a Roy/Zelda, I Roy/Ellis or something. Maybe Merric or one of the other princesses? I dunno, you decide. **Pit IS in this story, FYI**

_Oh yeah, Marth is wearing his SSBB outfit, Ike and Roy are wearing their SSBB/SSBM outfits without the armor, and Link is wearing his Ordon outfit. I'll try to post a picture of Falcon and the shield if I can._

Long description is loooooooong |D Me tired. All I want is to know what you think. Oh yeah, sorry if the inscription on the sword is too weird. I couldn't think of anything at the time, I was brain dead XD

Basically: Rusl took Link to Hyrule for the celebration of the 10-year anniversity of the treaty of peace signed between many of the great kingdoms. He meets Marth and his two friends, Roy and Ike. He later meets Pit, an adorable angel from Angel Land. But Link gets attacked by a mysterious beast...awhile later, he has to leave. Will he ever be reuinted with his best friends?

orz I suck at summaries XD Just rad the story, please!

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

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The young Prince Marth groaned in exasperation. He was so _bored!_ There was nothing, absolutely nothing to do at this blasted party! Honestly, he still couldn't figure out why Altea and the other nations needed to celebrate a decade's worth of peace. Ten years since all of the alliances have been made, so what? The boy's thirteen-year-old mind just didn't get the big deal. The prince eyed the representatives from each kingdom from his balcony, which overlooked the courtyard, where almost all of the representatives were (some had still yet to come).

He could see his elder sister, Princess Ellis, speaking to some other girls; Marth could recognize Linde and Princesses Caeda, little Maria, Minerva, Tiki, and Nyna. The others, he assumed, were females from countries he did not know, or whose parents were high-ranking nobles. All of the other people there were mostly old, stern-looking officials. _Bleck._ Immediately King Cornelius' words came to his son's mind: _"Even if they do not look amiable, my son, you shall still be pleasant and courteous. A prince is always to be considerate and kind, especially to his guests, least he shall be mocked and ridiculed as rude and ill-hearted..."_ The princeling gave the garden one more sweep with his eyes. No Roy, no Ike, no Merric…no boys at his age whatsoever. _How infuriating!_ he berated silently.

"Fine then," he huffed to himself, stalking off the balcony and into his room, "I shall just go to the stables and fetch Tornac! I'll just ride the remainder of the night so I won't have to talk to anyone!" Marth checked his appearance and, once deemed fit to go outside, left his elegant blue room and marched off to the horse stables. The blue-haired lad took a moment to peer around.

Just about all of the fine stalls were full, of course filled with the Altean's guest's horses. They were all very fine beasts. War horses, quarter horses, pegasi, and sprinters were varying in many colors; black, white, gray, silver, chestnut, bay, yellow, and even some blue and red-tinted ones. The pegasi were of the purest white. Marth strode over to Tornac's stall and stroked the black's nose caringly, eliciting a whinny. "Good boy," he murmured to the mere one-year-old purebred. Just then, he heard two horses' footsteps and the softer sound of human footsteps, one pair barely even audible. Turning around, he saw two people leading a duo of horses; a tough but kind swordsman with dirty blonde hair, looking around his mid forties, and a boy shorter than the prince, who was also a blonde, about a year or so younger than Marth. Both were wearing commoner clothing, farm wear. Normal people. But there was one thing off.

The boy had pointed ears. Marth gasped. _Wh-what?!_ Marth thought, stunned. _He can't be…is that blonde boy of the elusive race I've heard stories about? Is he…an elf?! Maybe he's a Manakete…He's certainly beautiful enough to be an elf, though…_ And indeed he was. Soft, slightly tanned skin, shining blonde hair, and gorgeous ocean-blue eyes. On his back was a wooden sparring sword with curious designs painted and engraved on it, and on his left hand was an odd insignia; three triangles composed to form one. _The Triforce!_ the prince remembered. _The symbol of the proud kingdom of Hyrule, home of the strong Gorons, the graceful Zora, the humble Hylians…_ Oh yes, Marth remembered Hyrule well—his history tutor made him read quite a few thick tomes and heavy volumes about the country and its provinces. Apparently, ages ago, the kingdom of Hyrule once gave the Hero Anri refuge in an extreme time of need. Hyrule's own hero, the Hero of Time, and its princess, the Princess Zelda, nursed him and his party of comrades back to health and showed them new tactics in battle, and also new ways to use magic. As a result, the two kingdoms have always been on good terms, but never really communicated with each other unless the need was dire, for the distance was vast. Marth's revelation was interrupted by a deep chuckle.

"Hello, prince of Altea," the gruff-looking swordsman spoke warmly. "I am Rusl Gornsson, and my horse is Timble. We hail from the village of Ordon, which lies in the heart of the province Ordonna. We are here to represent both Hyrule, all of its races, and Ordonna, for Princess Zelda is caught up in official business. She sends her most sincere apologies. Very pleased to meet you, m'lord." He gave the Hylian boy a nudge.

"I-I'm Link, Son of N-None, and this i-is Epona," the blonde stammered, shy. A light blush coated his high cheekbones. "It's an h-honor to meet you, sire!" The man, Rusl, bowed, and Link followed his lead, albeit a little more clumsily. _An orphan, eh…?_

Marth smiled humbly. "My name is Marth, and I welcome you to Altea, a kingdom of the noblest knights. Please, put your horses in a stall and make them as comfortable as you want." The foreigners did so, and the prince took this opportunity to take a closer look at the horses. Timble was clearly older than Epona; he was much taller and had gray streaks in his mane and tail. He was a dark sable. Epona, on the other hand, was small but built a bit stocky—one day she would make a fine war horse. The mare was pretty and young, not a day over a year with a shiny chestnut pelt. Her mane was an off-white silvery color, for it seemed to glow in the ill-lit stable.

Rusl saw the appreciation in the boy's gaze and smiled. Yes, he could tell the prince had the makings in him to become a great swordsman, and later a great king. He shot a sideways glance to his charge, whose eyes were fixed on Epona, rubbing her down after taking off her saddle and bridle. The man internally sighed. Being around all of these nobles and high-ranking officers made Link even more shy and bashful than ever before. But then he noticed the blue-haired lad's gaze drift towards the Hylian's form, obviously curious, and smiled. _Perhaps if they were to become friends…? Yes, it would do them both good,_ Rusl decided. _Maybe a talk with the king should be arranged as well._ He grabbed Hyrule's gifts for King Cornelius and got out of Timble's stall just as Epona nickered happily, nudging her nose against a handsome black stallion's whose stall was right next to hers. The stallion eagerly rubbed his nose back against the mare's.

Marth grinned. "It seems Epona has taken a liking to my Tornac!"

Link smiled softly. "Likewise for Tornac t-towards my dear Epona," he commented back, amused.

Marth's grin widened at the response. "Now, where are my manners? Come, I'll show you to the other representatives." He led the Hylian and Hyrulian to the courtyard, and made small talk with Link on the way.

"So, how was the journey?"

"Ah, it was rather…long. It took Rusl and me near two weeks to get to Altea's borders. I've never been so far away from home before for so long, but it's well worth it. All of these lands are so beautiful! It must be wonderful to live here…" The blonde looked around as he spoke, intrigued by the tall, majestic trees surrounding the castle.

Marth laughed lightly, secretly pleased the stammer was all but gone. "Aye, 'tis wonderful to live here, but it must be quite a thrill to live in Hyrule!"

A smile. "That it is, milord. I live by a great forest, and it is most gorgeous. We go there every day to load up hay on the horses for them and the goats."

Marth rolled his eyes at the "milord." "Please," he groaned. "Just call me Marth! Unless you wish for me to call you Sir Link," he said slyly.

Link wrinkled his nose in distaste. "'Sir Link'? Ha! I think not! Might as well call me Lady Link!"

Marth snorted. "If you insist, milady." They looked at each other and busted out laughing, Rusl just chuckling amusedly. Finally, they had made it to the garden with the rest of the representatives. When they walked in, some of the nobles gave Rusl and Link dirty looks, but when they saw Link's ears and faintly exotic features, excited whispers broke out.

"—beautiful—"

"—an elf?! Or Manakete—"

"—suppose he's…slave?"

_"—gorgeous—" _

"—nah…bet he's…pet—"

"—suppose…toy for the prince?" Link flushed beat red at the last comment, and Marth shot the offending noble a faint glare. The usually cool and collected Rusl had to hide his astonishment at the accusations. The prince then tugged Link towards his father, a now befuddled Rusl following.

"Father," Marth announced, "this is Link and Rusl from Ordon, and they're here representing Ordonna and Hyrule, for Princess Zelda couldn't make it."

A delighted twinkle found its way into King Cornelius' eyes. "Is that so?" he chuckled. "Well, it's a pleasure to see that our resident Hylians could make it." He held out his hand to Rusl, who shook it, and also to Link, who shook it as well. Rusl smiled.

"Actually, Your Majesty, Link here is the true Hylian. I'm just a human living in Hyrule, which therefore makes me Hyrulian," the swordsman corrected.

"Ah! I'm terribly sorry," the king apologized. "It's been quite some time since my studies of other nations; I really must go through my textbooks again. But, if you don't mind, could you perhaps tell me the difference between a Hylian and a Hyrulian?" By now, a few of the other representatives were listening in on their conversation, genuinely interested as well. This time, Link answered.

"Well," he began, "Hylians mainly look different because of our ears. They are elongated so we can hear any messages the three great Goddesses wish to pass on to us." He stopped at the confused looks he received. "Ah, well, I suppose we do have a different religion than the people of Archanea. I'll give you the short version: The kingdom of Hyrule was created by the three Goddesses. Din, the Goddess of Power, Farore, the Goddess of Courage, and Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom. Din shaped the earth, Farore gave it life, and Nayru gave it balance and justice. When the Goddesses left, they also left behind the Triforce, which was sealed away in the Sacred Realm. The rest is…difficult to explain.

"Anyways, we Hylians have magic in our blood, which is a gift from the Goddesses. But, over the years, Hylians married regular humans, so most of the magic has faded away, except for the bloodlines of the Royal Family and that of the Hero. Um, I think that's pretty much the basics," Link concluded, sounding a little unsure. The small crowd that had gathered broke apart, whispering to one another yet again.

The king gave the out of breath boy an appreciative look. "Thank you for clearing that up," he thanked.

Link grinned weakly in response. "No problem, Your Highness."

"Ah!" Rusl suddenly exclaimed. "I almost forgot! Please, it would honor Hyrule and me greatly if you were to take this sword and shield I forged. The princess dubbed the rapier Falcon, for it delivers a quick and vicious death." He offered out his arms, in which lay the aforementioned sword and shield. Cornelius was awed and Marth was dumbstruck. They were beautiful, almost too gorgeous to even think of using in battle.

The rapier was forged of silver, and looked eerily similar to the Falchion blade, but the guard was somewhat more graceful, slightly resembling the Master Sword's guard; a bit like the outstretched wings of a great bird. At the pommel lay a bright forest-green emerald, and on one side connecting the blade to the hilt was a blood-red ruby, and on the other side was an ocean-blue sapphire. Along the flat of the blade, on both sides, there was script engraved in some sort of elegant, beautiful language. The hilt itself was made of the strongest goat horn, with veins of gold running through it. The sheath was a deep royal blue with the same script on the side, only this time in pure gold stitching (Altea's main colors). The shield was crafted with silver and steel and inlaid with gold, with both Altea's emblem and the Royal Family crest engraved on it and had various decorations. It looked like it could take many blows.

"This…is the best weaponry I have ever seen in my entire life," the king was finally able to say. He accepted the offered gift with a great bow, causing Rusl to radiate pride.

"Thank you very much, King Cornelius, I am deeply humbled," the swordsman breathed out, euphoric at the praise. Link felt greatly happy for the man who practically raised him.

Cornelius shook his head, smiling. "No, 'tis I who is humbled. Almost none of the sword smiths in Altea—the land of knights, nonetheless—have such great a skill as yours. May I inquire what the scripture reads?"

"Ah," Rusl began, "it is in Hylian, which is our native language, but just about everyone knows your tongue as well, and it reads: _Thou only thy finest of thine noble House of Altea shalt be allowed to wield thee sword._ The princess and her father, King Dante, put an incantation on the blade to ensure only someone from your House shall ever be allowed to wield it, unless they have your verbal assent. Link and I both were in a loophole, since we were the ones carrying it at the time, and therefore can wield it as well. But, we would never think of wielding it without either of your permission, sires," he concluded happily. "However, if you wish to praise the writing, please thank Link. He did the engraving and the stitching; he has the most elegant Hylian handwriting in the whole village, plus he has a way with needles." He winked at Link, which caused him to flush lightly at the praise.

"I must say," said Marth's father, "I am rather surprised. It would normally take one many years to achieve such neatness with the pen, let alone embroidering or engraving. Isn't that correct, Marth?"

The blue-haired boy nodded. "Hai," he agreed, looking at Link, "'tis most impressive. It took me many years to achieve the grace of the strokes you accomplished on the engraving. Most beautiful." Link, in response, beamed widely at Marth.

"Thank you, Marth," the Hylian said gratefully, looking pleased. A gentle smile was still etched on his face. Cornelius was a bit surprised. _No "prince" or "milord"? The little lad doesn't seem to be one to be disrespectful, unless…did Marth request for the Hylian boy to call him by his name only? Odd…perhaps…they are already friends? Yes, that would explain it. Well, maybe I should offer an extended stay for the two._

"Perhaps, dear son of mine, you should go along and introduce Link to your friends, whilst Rusl and I talk, eh?" Marth nodded and grabbed Link's hand, leading him towards the girls.

"Now, the girls can be quite scary, but I've got your back, alright?" Link nodded, faintly confused. _Sure, girls can be weird, but scary?_ he thought. _Ilia and Beth can be little terrors sometimes, wanting to play house and dress-up,_ (somehow, Link always got stuck as the "mommy"), _and the older women of the village can be right-down _perverts,_ but they are all sane enough._ His eyes widened considerably after they made their way to the girls. They were all so pretty, just as pretty as Princess Zelda! _But then again, most of them probably are princesses._

"Everyone, this is Link from Hyrule," Marth announced. Then, in quieter voice, he whispered to Link. "Say hello, no need to be afraid or anything."

Link huffed. Afraid? He wasn't afraid of anything! ...Okay, that was a lie. But that's beside the point!

"H-Hi," he muttered, nervous again. "I'm very pleased to m-meet you all." Silence. Then—

"KAWAII DEEEEEEEEEEESU!!!"

—the poor blonde was glomped to the ground by a blur of pink and purple. Link groaned. "Say wha'?" he grumbled.

Princess Tiki giggled. "It means cute! As in, you're so cute you could be a girl, cute! Hiya, I'm Tiki, princess of the dragon clan! I'm a Manakete. Are you a Manakete? You look like you could be a Manakete. You're pretty, did you know that? Am I hyper? I get hyper when I eat sugar—" Marth cleared his throat, amused.

"Tiki," the prince drawled, "I don't think he can breathe." The Manakete eeped and jumped off Link, helping him up. The others were soon introduced to the Hylian, and, just like he guessed, they were all princesses (with the exception of Linde).

Link noticed Marth peering around, as if searching for something. He approached his new friend and asked, "Marth, are you looking for something? If so, I'd be more than glad to assist…"

Marth looked at the blonde, a slight frown etched into his face. "Yes, I'm looking for my friend, Merric. He has green hair and is about our age…he should be here…" Link looked around. No one matched that description. Marth's frown deepened. "Ellis," he called out to his older sister, "have you seen Merric?"

The blue-haired beauty looked at her brother, eyebrows drawn together in concern. "No. The last I saw of him, he was heading out to the forest." Marth groaned.

"The fool! He's probably out looking for some flower that can expel fire or something. I'm going to go look for him." Marth started to walk off, when he was stopped. Someone was holding on to his cape. When he turned around, he saw it was Link.

"…I'm going with you." Even though his voice was gentle, there was a note of finality in it. There was no arguing with the other boy.

"Of course. Let's just go to tell my father where we're going." The prince was quick in decisions, but he wasn't stupid about it. They both went off to speak with King Cornelius, who was still conversing to Rusl.

"Father," said Marth, "Link and I are off to search the forest for Merric. The latest we shall be back is when the sun is at its highest on the 'morrow, and the soonest is when the sun is set today." Cornelius took a brief look upwards to check the position of the sun. It was around six at night, so the sun would be setting in two hours.

After a long while of mentally debating, the king gave his consent to the prince, as did the swordsman to his apprentice. "I only request that you take the sword and shield Hyrule has given us, to protect you two." Marth nodded, acknowledging his father. He quickly belted the sword to his waist, but gave the shield to Link.

"You have more need of it than I" was all he said. Link silently agreed. Whilst Marth was a prince, a king in training with a sword fit to be wielded by a great knight, Link was but a simple farm boy with a wooden sparring sword. He fit the shield on his right arm. Loose, but at least it didn't fall off. When the two boys were ready, they went to the stables to fetch Tornac, Epona, and Merric's fiery grey stallion, Brisingr. They fitted the horses with their bridles and saddles, tied Brisingr to Epona, and trotted silently off to the forest.

After a few hours of searching (after the sun went down, Link got out his lantern from his saddlebag) they finally found the shivering form of Merric huddled on the ground against a tree, pulling his thin blue cloak around him to keep warm.

"Marth! Am I ever glad to see you!" The student of magic stood up, and looked like he was about to hug his friend when he got smacked upside the head.

"Dolt!" Marth exclaimed. "You should never go in the forest alone!"

"But Maaaaaaaaarth," Merric whined, "there are some really amazing magical organisms out here!" Link giggled from behind his hands, which drew the green-haired boy's attention towards him.

"Whoa! Who are you? And what are you?" The latter question earned another smack.

"Don't be so rude!" the bluenette hissed. The blonde giggled again.

"It's quite alright, Marth," Link informed with a smile. He then turned on his saddle towards Merric. "I'm Link, and I'm a Hylian from, well, Hyrule." Merric's eyes shone with excitement.

"A Hylian! An honest-to-goodness Hylian! I've always wanted to meet a Hylian ever since I read about them!" Link let out a lilting, melodic laugh. The magic user's eyes widened. "Are you sure you aren't of any elven descent?" he pestered. "I mean, not to sound weird or anything, but you're gorgeous, like elves, and your laugh sounds like what theirs is described as." Marth internally sweat-dropped.

Link smiled, a dull blush spreading across his cheeks, cerulean eyes glowing in the light from the full moon. "I'm positive," he assured. "Plus, if I had any elf blood in me, I'd probably be able to use magic."

Marth looked at Link, confused. "I thought Hylians could use magic!"

The blonde looked down, faintly abashed. "Yes, but just like any other mage or sorcerer, we must be trained, or at the very least shown. Since there're no other Hylians in my village, there's no one to instruct me…most elves, from what I've heard, can use magic when they're around the age of ten, but they still seek out tutors to hone their skills." He quickly dismounted Epona and Marth followed his lead, but untied Brisingr from the other's mare.

Merric shivered again. "Perhaps we could start a fire since it's too late to go back?" he asked. A vein in Marth's forehead twitched.

"Can't you _conjure_ up a fire?" he all but growled.

The other shivered, but this time not from the cold. "Uh, that's battle magic only. I can't use it unless it's on an enemy. Sorry," he squeaked out. Link rolled his eyes, gathering some leaves and small, dead branches.

"Honestly, Marth, there isn't anything he can do about it. Quit scaring him." Merric sent the Hylian an appreciative look. Link only shrugged and got out his lantern, sticking a twig in to set the kindling he gathered on fire. He poured some lantern oil on it to get it going. A few minutes later, the boys had a roaring fire to keep themselves warm. Marth and Link left their weapons against the tree, not wanting to sleep with them on. Link snuggled up to Epona after unsaddling her, for she was lying on the ground. The others did the same, and bid each other goodnight.

At around one a.m. (the moon was still full and high), Link was woken by the three horses whinnying uneasily. He groaned and stood up, brushing the dirt of his clothes. "What's the matter, girl?" he asked Epona, concerned. She never acted up, unless monsters were near. But Marth or the king would have warned him of that, right? The blonde approached the mare and stilled her, but the two stallions were still prancing around, skittish. He frowned. "Tornac, Brisingr, what's wrong?" But then Epona suddenly reared, neighing loudly in warning, causing Link to fall over. He was surprised his companions hadn't woken up yet. The Hylian looked up and froze, finally seeing what the horses were spooked about.

It was a gigantic wolf with great big blood red eyes. But somehow, it wasn't entirely animal. It could walk on two legs, like a human, but had the viciousness of a rabid beast.

"Werewolf," Link breathed out. The thing grinned, its monstrously large teeth glinting in the moonlight. The boy could tell its teeth were meant for ripping, shredding…killing.

"Very good, child," the thing growled. "Mm, you look very tasty. Young ones always have the firmest flesh, but something's off about your scent, hrm…" It stalked closer, this time on all four legs, and took a few long, deep sniffs. Only inches away from his face, Link didn't dare move, for fear it would snap his neck in two. "Ah, you have magic in you! Hylian, no doubt from the sacred kingdom. Haven't had one of your kind in a long, long time, but…" It paused. "There's something…animalistic about you, boy. Something feral. It lies dormant, deep inside you, for now, at least. Better watch out during mating season; something might just devour you and eat you all up, hurr hurr…"

"Wh-what do you w-want?" Link asked, deeply afraid. His eyes flashed towards to the tree, were their weapons were. _Too far away…_ "Animalistic? M-mating season? What are you talking about?" The werewolf let out a "hyuk" sound, and the blonde realized it was laughing.

"Ah, you know not of your heritage! Shame. As for mating season, dear pup, you are quite the beautiful morsel. Not many of my species would pass up the opportunity to pounce on you." It chuckled, amused by the boy's fear.

"B-but why m-mate," here he flushed a dull red, "with me? I-it's not like I can carry any offspring, I'm n-not a g-girl."

The beast grinned maliciously. "Now now, Hylian, don't be so quick on the draw. Magic can work mysterious wonders, you know. Almost anything is possible with a sorcerer or two." It moved closer. "Plus, you have magic in you. Pure, clean, white magic." The hot breath against Link's elongated ear made him shudder. "As do I. Dark magic, but magic nonetheless. I wonder what would happen if the two combined, eh?" The werewolf suddenly grabbed the boy's shoulders, claws digging in, preventing him from escaping, and viciously bit into the left side of his neck, drawing out crimson blood. Link couldn't help but utter a sharp cry of pain. "You're mine, child," the thing snarled against his neck.

"No," a cold, harsh voice said. "He isn't." Both Link and the werewolf looked up to see a furious Marth glaring at the beast, a defiant Merric at his side. Hate and malice radiated from his body, as did an icy aura. In his right hand was Falcon, the blade gleaming threateningly in the moonlight. The monster growled.

"Little humans can never stop meddling!" it roared. Then, as if to taunt the other two, it licked The Hylian boy's tender, bloodied neck, eliciting a whimper.

"M-make it stop," he whispered hoarsely, pain laced in his feeble voice. _S-so…blurry…_ "M-Marth…pl-please…help me…" Link's soft plea for help made the prince snap. With a loud yell, he leaped and brought his blade down on the werewolf's left shoulder brutally.

"Take that, monster!" he shouted. Merric was stunned. The mage had never seen the prince lose control like that. _He must care a lot for Link,_ he thought. _But they just met. How could they have connected so easily? Marth seldom lets anyone get close to him when he first meets a person. Perhaps they're soul mates._ Merric would have laughed if the situation wasn't so serious. He was distracted from his thoughts when the monster slashed at Marth's chest, scratching his breastplate and knocking him over. The green-haired boy quickly got out his magic tome. After flipping through the pages and yelling a spell, a huge ball of fire erupted from his outstretched arm. Confused, the werewolf turned around to attack the bluenette again, letting go of Link, the smell of its singed fur covering the small encampment. This time, the noble was ready.

While the two battled, Merric quickly made his way to Link's side. He bit his lip in worry. The bleeding was slowing, but the flow was still heavy. The mage quickly got out a canteen of water, a small medicine bowl, and a Vulnerary from his side bag. He washed off the blood gently with the water, causing the other to hiss. Mumbling an apology, he hurriedly put a few pinchfulls of the powdered medicine into the bowl and poured in some water, so it would be easier to swallow. Briefly the boy noticed the battle seemed to be coming to an end.

Merric propped Link's head up in his lap. "Come on, Link, you've got to drink this. Swallow, it'll make you better…" He offered the medicine to the blonde's lips, who slowly parted them. Thankfully, he was able to down the whole bowl. Merric sharply looked up when he heard the werewolf say something.

"You'll regret this, you royal swine," it growled, voice low and grating. The beast's form was littered in deep cuts, with a noticeable slash across the bridge of its long muzzle, along with the gash on its shoulder. "Let me tell you my name, child, so you know who will haunt your dreams at night. I am Fenrir, and you will fear me, for I am the very meaning of the word."

Marth snorted. He was covered with a few claw marks, but they were merely shallow scratches. Falcon's tip was dripping with its enemy's thick wine red blood. "I fear nothing," he hissed.

The thing let out a weak, grumbling chuckle. "I wouldn't be so sure about that, princeling." Its gaze shifted towards the Hylian, and Merric laid his hand down on his tome, ready to defend if necessary.

The prince's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You wouldn't _dare,"_ he spat.

"Yes," it spoke, "I would. One day, when you least expect it, that boy will be mine. If I am not back within five summers, he will be safe. But, until then, you'd better watch out, for I certainly will be watching."

"Bastard," a weak voice hissed. They all turned towards Link, surprised.

"Well, well," the werewolf mused, "such a filthy word from the pretty little bitch's pure mouth!" Marth snarled and was about to lop off the monster's head when it ran away. The prince hurriedly made his way towards his injured friend, ripping off a strip of his cape to use for bandaging. Kneeling, he gently began to dress the nasty-looking bite mark, not wanting to cause the other any more pain.

"Thanksh, guys," Link giggled sluggishly, slightly delirious from the blood loss. "I'd-a never make it whifout you two fellershhh," he slurred, eyes half-lidded. The bluenette groaned.

"Have you anything to lull him to sleep?" he asked, the question directed at the green-haired boy. Merric nodded.

"Yes, some Delho berries," he responded, pulling them out of his bag. "They're used to put their eater in a deep, peaceful slumber." Inside a brown velvet pouch were some small pink berries. Merric quickly fed them to the blonde, who almost immediately fell asleep. Marth let out a grateful sigh.

"Thank you, Merric," he spoke. Merric just smiled back and nodded. The bluenette noticed his friend was tired after looking at his droopy eyes. "Do you want me to watch him?" he asked.

The mage eyed the noble, uncertain. "You sure? You need sleep as well, especially after that battle." The Altean prince shook his head.

"I'll be fine. Plus, my adrenaline is still pumping and someone needs to keep watch. Don't fret." Merric finally consented, and promptly fell asleep. Marth wiped the gore from his rapier on a patch of moss and put it back in its original place, next to Link's wooden sword. He then carried Link over to the tree, sitting him upright against it, where he planned to keep watch. "You're light," he mumbled to himself and sat down next to the Hylian. The sound of the other's gentle breathing relaxed him.

_In fact,_ Marth thought, _just about everything about Link soothes me, even though I've only been around him for a few hours. I guess it's his personality._ He was startled when he felt a sudden weight on his shoulder. Link's head. The prince frowned and hurriedly took off his armor, throwing it carelessly into a pile on the forest floor some feet away. It clanged together noisily, causing Marth to wince and look at his sleeping companions. Still asleep. His lips twitched in a small smile when he felt Link move closer, seeking warmth. He grabbed his blue and red cape off the ground and carefully covered the Hylian. _There._ Around three hours later, about four in the morning, he finally fell into a deep slumber, Link right at his side.

_"Marth…"_ a dreamy voice seemed to sigh. _"Marth, wake up…"_ The prince of Altea smiled like a fool, eyes closed, still half asleep. Upon opening his eyes blearily, he saw a beautiful blue-eyed blonde bending over him. Gentle rays of sun dotted through the canopy of the trees, lighting the boy from the back, making his softly tanned skin seem to glow. (A/N: Fuck I'm getting cheesy lol) _So gorgeous…all of that must have been a dream…_ A melodic laugh interrupted the bluenette's tired thoughts.

"Wake up, sleepy head!" A gentle shake. "It's time to get back to your father and Rusl before they get worried and send a search party! Hurry, before Merric and I dump water on you!" Marth stood up with a groan, arching his back and stretching his arms far above his head. _It wasn't a dream after all,_ he thought cheerfully. With eased practice, he quickly put on his armor and looked around for his cape.

"A-ah, sorry," Link muttered sheepishly. Only know did he notice that his cape was fastened around the blonde, like a cloak.

Marth grinned in satisfaction, pleased he hadn't taken it off. "No no, it's quite alright." He peered at the thin summer clothing and low cut shirt, frowning briefly at the makeshift bandaging on his neck that was dark with blood. "That outfit can't be very warm."

Link chirped out a thanks and went to saddle Epona. Marth did the same with Tornac, noticing Merric had already saddled Brisingr and dowsed the fire. They all then grabbed their belongings, mounted their steeds, and trotted off towards the general direction of the castle. On the way, the two Alteans questioned as to what occurred between Link and the werewolf. He told them, causing Marth to grip his reigns tightly, knuckles turning white. Merric was insanely curious about what the monster meant when it talked about there being a beast sealed inside of the Hylian. The blue-eyed boy had merely shrugged. He had no idea whatsoever.

"I've heard about something like that," the mage began, "happening on some faraway island. There are people there with beasts sealed inside of them, only those are great and powerful demons. They can harness the power of those demons and can do remarkable things." He shot Link a look. "But I highly doubt that you, of all people, would have a demon inside of you," Merric laughed. Link grinned but lifted up his left hand to cradle his neck, still holding Epona's reigns with his right. The bleeding had stopped, but the wound was incredibly sore. His eyes widened when a disturbing thought struck him.

"G-guys…?" he called out, voice uneasy. He felt so stupid for never thinking of this before. "Will I turn into a werewolf?!"

The two Alteans blanched. The thought never occurred to them either. Marth spoke up first. "I'm sure that if a curate or celtic heal it, you'll be fine," he said, trying to reassure the Hylian and himself. "And just in case, we can get a sage or bishop to look at it as well. We should probably hurry." And with that, he spurred Tornac into a fast canter, Epona and Brisingr following. After about two and a half hours of leaping over felled logs, navigating through the trees, and taking a few shortcuts away from the main trails, the three made it to the courtyard of the castle, where Rusl, the king, Princess Ellis, and a few dismounted cavaliers were waiting anxiously. When the three boys arrived, Rusl rushed to Link's side, and Cornelius and Ellis to Marth's.

Rusl was extremely concerned, asking his charge many questions. "What on Farore's green earth attacked you, boy?! Are you alright? Did you get that wound treated and dressed properly? Get off Epona, you need to see a doctor!"

Link smiled tightly. "I'm fine, Rusl. Merric and Marth saved me and dressed it…"

Hearing this, Marth pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. Ignoring his sister and father, he said to Rusl, "No, he is most definitely not fine. Link got bitten by a rogue werewolf and must see a sage immediately." At this new piece of information, many of the surrounding people gasped. "Please, father," he said, this time directing his words at the king, "allow me to take him to Melledeus so I can get him treated properly."

Understanding the urgency of the situation, King Cornelius nodded. "Of course, my son. Cain, Abel, accompany them," he ordered.

The two cavaliers saluted their king, armor clanking together. "Yes, sir!" they shouted. Marth quickly dismounted his black steed, as did Link, but not before groaning in faint embarrassment. He didn't like all of the attention he was getting. Marth grabbed his right hand and led him into the castle, Cain and Abel following dutifully. The prince pulled his injured friend through the many passages of the castle to Melledeus' study, the two cavaliers hot on their trail.

Finally, the four made it to a thick mahogany door. Link pulled the cape closer around him with his free hand, using it to ward of the faint chill. Despite it being summer, this part of the castle wasn't used much, and it was colder than the rest of the fortress. The three Alteans were used to it, however.

Marth lifted up his right hand to rap on the door. "Melledeus!" he called out. "Please, open up! You have a patient, and it's urgent." Cain and Abel smiled a bit at the prince's concern and shared a knowing look.

Link scoffed. "I'm fine, Marth," he lied. "Really, I don't…don't…" He stopped, suddenly feeling dizzy. The blonde's vision blurred a little.

The other frowned, letting go of the Hylian's hand to steady him. "No, we already went over this," he admonished. "You need help, Link." Just then, the door to the study opened, revealing a sagely, elderly man wearing robes like Merric's.

"Please," he beckoned, having a wizened voice, "come in." He wasn't fazed in the slightest at Link. They walked in to find themselves in a maze of books and tomes of history, magic, fighting, and everything in between. Large bookcases lined the stone walls, with seemingly random stacks of books and maps covering the floor, which was also stone. At the end of this room was a large desk, also made of the finest mahogany, and behind that was a smaller chamber, presumably used for sleeping. Above the sleeping chamber was a second floor with some odd artifacts, some more books, and an observation deck. "Sit," the old man added, gesturing at a leather winged armchair in front of the desk. Link did so. The chair was a little hard, but still welcomed.

Grumbling to himself, Melledeus grabbed various ingredients from around his large study and put them in a medium-sized wooden medicine bowl, later mashing them up into a pale green paste-like substance. With practiced ease, he quickly stripped off the makeshift bandaging that was on the wound. Upon seeing it, he tutted. The bite mark had clotted and scabbed over, but the wound had been strained some after riding so hard and broke open again, bleeding profusely. The red flesh inside was all-too visible after the man wiped it. Dry, cracked blood along with gushing blood covered the whole area, and under that, a purplish-black bruise. There was a small amount of yellowish discharge, signaling it was slightly infected.

"What bit him?" the sage asked, forehead wrinkled.

Merric answered quietly. "Werewolf in the forest," he muttered. Melledeus' white grizzled eyebrows shot up.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?!" he demanded. "All of you, out! Except for you, boy," he added towards Link. All of the Alteans did as told and walked out of the chamber, shutting the heavy door behind them.

Melledeus turned back to Link. "Now, what time did you get bitten?" he asked while cleaning the wound.

Link winced when he felt the stinging sensation of some sort of disinfectant. "Ah—! Either very late last night, or very early this morning. The moon was still—gah!—high." The old man nodded.

"Good, it isn't too late…" he murmured softly to himself. He then wiped some of the excess liquid of the blonde's neck tenderly, not wanting to cause him any more pain.

Melledeus walked over to a pile of books on the floor and rummaged through them. When he straightened back up, he had a long, elegant yew staff in his right hand. This piqued Link's curiosity.

"What's that?" he questioned, eager to find out. The elderly sage walked over to him, smiling.

"This, my boy, is a magical staff. It's used for different magics, such as Heal, Physic, and Mend, among others." He held it up above his head, and, to Link's astonishment, an odd light appeared at the tip of it. The Hylian suddenly felt a warm, tingly sensation on the left side of his neck, which was where the injury was. He lifted up a hand to touch it, and, to his joyous surprise, it was almost completely healed.

Link laughed and beamed at Melledeus. "Thank you so much, sir!" He then proceeded to throw his arms around the old man and hugged him tightly, his head not even going past the other's shoulders. Melledeus chuckled and patted his patient's back.

"'Twas my pleasure, lad. We've still got to put on that healing salve, though, eh? That way your wound will heal completely, and with some luck, it won't scar." The boy nodded and released the sage. The old man grabbed the salve-filled bowl from his desk and gently began to rub it on what remained of Link's injury. When he was done, Melledeus wrapped some clean gauze around the blonde's neck snugly so it wouldn't unravel and secured it with a pin.

Link gently smiled once more when Melledeus was done and again pulled Marth's red and blue cape closely around him. It gave him a feeling of security, for some odd reason. "Go on, child," the man said, "you can go back to the prince. In a few days, come back to get those bandages changed, yes?" Link nodded and went back to the corridor where Marth and the two cavaliers were. The bluenette rushed to his friend's side.

"Are you alright?" he demanded. "Is there anything you need? Food? Water?"

Link smiled serenely, happy his friend was concerned. It made him feel…loved. "Well…if it's not too much to ask for, some water would be much appreciated, as would some bread if it's not a burden…"

Marth nodded towards Cain, a redhead with red armor. "If you don't mind, Cain, could you please…?"

The soldier nodded. "Of course, prince," he said with a bow. Then, he turned around to leave, but didn't go before kissing the other cavalier on the forehead, murmuring something, and left, presumably to the kitchens. Link blushed a bright pink. _T-two male lovers…?_ Of course, he didn't have anything against it, but it still shocked him nevertheless; it was unheard of in such a small place such as Ordon Village. _Especially in front of their prince!_ But Marth didn't seem to be bothered in the slightest. In fact, he even smiled at the receiver of the kiss, Abel, a green-haired young man with green armor, who smiled back! Link was flabbergasted.

Marth turned back towards Link. "Let's go to my room, okay? You can borrow some clothes and we'll both change." Link nodded and followed Marth, as did Abel. It took about ten or so minutes to reach the prince's room, which was more like a suite. It was a gorgeous room, with its pure white stone walls, glossy black floor, long, flowing curtains trailing from the doors of the balcony, and large and comfy-looking queen-sized four poster bed, complete with canopy. The only thing was that the royal blue satin sheets were not empty. There were two boys on the bed, a redhead and a bluenette, like Marth. Their expressions immediately lit up when they saw the Altean royalty.

"Roy? Ike?" Marth questioned, sounding confused. "What in the name of Anri are you two doing here?"

Link tugged on Marth's hand gently, looking rather puzzled. "Who're they, Marth?"

The redhead blinked. "Eh? What's this? You haven't told your little friend about me 'n' Ike yet! Marth, I thought we were your friends!" He got off the bed and walked towards Link and Marth, grinning all the way. The other boy silently followed. The ruder boy grabbed Link's free right hand and kissed it. "Pleasure to meet you, little lady. I'm Roy of Pherae, it's a pleasure," he hummed, face lit like a Cheshire cat's. The Hylian's face grew pink rapidly.

"E-excuse me?! I am not a girl, thank you very much!" he exclaimed, pulling his hand away. Roy looked crestfallen.

"Ah, no wonder she was so flat-chested—itai!" He cried out in pain and grabbed his head when he was smacked by the gruff-looking bluenette, who must've been Ike.

"Dumbass," he drawled. "My name is Ike, and I'm originally from Gallia. I'm a Greil mercenary in training. It's nice to meet you." He politely offered his hand, which Link accepted and shook. Roy and his whining were blatantly ignored.

The lord's sky blue eyes widened considerably as he spotted the hilt of Falcon. "Whoa, what a gorgeous sword…" Before Link or Marth , he reached out for it and pulled back as if burned. He hissed and sucked on some of the fingers that were victim. "What kind of sorcery is this?" he cried.

The blonde's eyes flashed. "I'd prefer it if you didn't call the magic of my land sorcery," he remarked coolly. "There is an incantation on it so that only someone of the House of Altea, or me, or my caretaker, Rusl, can touch it. See?" To demonstrate, he easily slid the rapier out of its sheath.

"I bet it's just as deadly as it is beautiful," Ike said admirably. Marth nodded as Link carefully sheathed Falcon into its scabbard.

"Hai. It is. I've used it before."

Roy blinked. "Really? Is this why you were gone last night?" Marth nodded again, and he and Link went into full account as to what happened the night prior. After they were finished, there was silence. Then—

"Whoa! That's wicked awesome!" Roy gushed, sounding awed. Ike hit the back of his head again.

"Moron. They could've died."

Roy whined again. "Yeah, but they DIDN'T, and that's what makes it awesome!" Marth grabbed the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb tightly, and Link sweat-dropped.

"Are they always like this?" he whispered, looking at the other two who were now bickering.

"Do you know what 'dead' means?"

"Of course I do! I'm not _that_ stupid!"

"I contraire. I think you need a demonstration, yeah? Prepare yourself!"

Marth sighed. "Yes, I'm afraid they are." He winced as Roy jumped on Ike, making them both fall with a large thud, and began wrestling.

The door suddenly opened. Link and Marth turned around, seeing that Cain had returned. Abel, who was next to the door, gave him an enthusiastic hug, which Cain returned with one arm, since in his right hand was the strap of a water canteen and a plate with some bread, cheese, and some sort of meat. The red cavalier quickly handed the items to the famished Hylian, who quickly thanked him.

Marth smiled. "Thank you, Cain. You two are dismissed." Link sat on the floor and quickly began eating, but not sloppily. He would rather swallow a Deku Babba raw and alive than to eat like a slob in front of royalty. He and Marth amused themselves by watching Ike and Roy, who were still wrestling. It actually seemed as if they were both pretty even.

"Dinner with a show," Link whispered, causing Marth to laugh. Roy looked up, startled at the sudden noise, which Ike took to his advantage, and pinned him firmly to the floor.

"Never let your guard down," he said, looking a little smug. Roy groaned.

"Okay, okay, you win, but get off, you big oaf! You're heavy!" Link giggled, almost choking on his water. It was interesting watching those two interact. He then yawned. Eating usually made him tired, plus he was up for quite awhile the night before. Quite frankly, the little Hylian wanted to sleep. Roy 'awww'ed, making Marth roll his eyes. The prince grabbed the wooden plate off of his friend's lap and picked him up bridal style.

Link yelped in surprise. "Marth, what are you doing?!" he exclaimed.

Marth snorted, walking over to his bed. "You're tired, so you're going to sleep. No arguing." He dropped Link on the bed, who bounced a little on the soft mattress. _Comfy…_

Roy snickered and Ike rose an eyebrow. "Mother hen much?" the latter mumbled. Link began grumbling about insane, overprotective blue-haired princes as he crawled under the satiny smooth covers. He soon fell asleep.

"Care to tell us what that was all about, Marthy-boy?" Roy teased. Marth huffed and walked over to his wardrobe, pulling out a black tunic with gold stitching, white leggings, and some plain black leather boots. Roy and Ike were dressed in plain clothing, without armor, and he figured he'd do the same.

"I'm just being a good friend," he said calmly. He began to undress, not being bothered by his friends being there.

"He was wearing your favorite cape, the one your grandfather wore," Ike observed. Marth briefly froze as he was slipping his new tunic on. He'd forgotten about that.

"He was shivering," he told them, bending over so he could put his boots on. "It was cold for him in the forest since he was wearing such a thin shirt."

"Riiiiiiiiiight."

"Mm hm." Apparently, some people didn't believe him.

Marth sighed. "Come, I've got to explain to my father and Link's caretaker what happened, if Merric hasn't told already." Quickly, the Altean hastily scribbled a note with a quill on his desk and placed it on the bedside table, so Link would know where they were. Soon after, they left, leaving the Hylian by himself.

* * *

Review? XD That is all I ask for...this story takes a lot out of me, so motivation is much needed |D And if you see any errors at all, please tell me~!


	2. Tearful Farewell

Chapter two! I really hope you guys like this story XD Urgh I'm having troubles with chapter three... DX

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

Warning: Erm...slash? XD I think that's it.

* * *

Link woke up, greeted by the warm sunshine that filtered through the curtains over the large windows. The 12-year-old yawned and rubbed at his eyes, and then he stretched, arching his back. Getting out of Marth's bed, he looked around, confused. No one else was in the room.

Glancing around the room, Link spotted a piece of paper on top of a pile of carefully folded clothes. He tried reading the letter, but he couldn't recognize the language. The runes were different than Hylian, but the blonde assumed it was written by Marth. He took the clothes, assuming they were for them, since Marth told him he'd let the other change, and slipped them on. A plain forest green tunic with a brown leather belt, a white undershirt, pure white tights, and a pair of slim, knee-high boots, which were also made of brown leather. Link blushed. The attire was strikingly similar to the Hero of Time's, according to the legends, minus the hat, earrings, and gauntlets. He quickly washed his face using a water basin on the opposite side of the room and left through the ornately carved wooden door.

Only to get horribly lost.

* * *

Pit groaned as he made his way through the castle. Or, at least, tried to make his way.

Pit was the representative from Angel Land, and, to his upmost horror, he was a day late to the anniversary of the alliances between some of the strongest and influential kingdoms in the world. He'd bet his bow that the goddess Palutena would have more than a few words to share with him when he got back.

"I knew this was a bad idea. Gosh, going off around the castle by myself to look for the king, great idea, Pit…" the 10-year-old angel mumbled to himself, wings fluttering in faint embarrassment at his plight. He then eeked when he ran into someone and fell on his bottom, the other person the same and letting out an eep.

"Gah! I'm sorry!" he cried out in apology to the blonde boy he had just knocked over, helping him up. The boy smiled gently.

"No, it's not your fault. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going; I was trying to think of a way to get un-lost," he giggled. Pit gazed curiously at his ears. They were long and pointed. "My name's Link, and I'm a Hylian from Hyrule," he added when he saw the brunette's gaze on his ears.

"Oh! Sorry for staring," Pit apologized again. "I'm Pit, and I'm an angel from Angel Land. I'm surprised you weren't staring at _me,"_ he laughed, and Link laughed along. "I'm lost too, so should we be lost together?"

The Hylian grinned. "Sure!" he agreed, and the two boys tried to find a familiar face in the castle. After about an hour of wandering, they were only able to find Pit's guest room, which they both grudgingly entered.

"By the Goddesses," Link groaned. "This seems helpless!" He looked around the room. It was elaborately decorated, just as Marth's room was, an obvious sign of the kingdom's wealth.

"I must agree," the little brunette huffed. "Ah well, at least now I can get the king his present I forgot in here, ehe…" He walked over to a large chair, on it resting a beautiful bow and quiver. They were made of yew, inlaid with traces of gold and silver. In the considerably large quiver was around a hundred arrows, all also made of yew with a mysterious pure white feather at the ends of each one.

"They're angel feathers," Pit explained. "The arrows are enchanted so that they will not miss their target, even in rain or wind." He slung the quiver on his back with some careful maneuvering and held onto the bow. "Let's go and try to find the king."

"Again," added Link.

Pit laughed lightly, a cute, childish laugh. "Yes, again," he giggled. They once more began to wander through the stone corridors when Link saw a rather familiar-looking mahogany door.

"Here!" Link exclaimed. "It's not the king's chambers, but Melledeus will probably help us." He knocked on the door softly. "Sir," he called out, "it's Link. My friend and I need some assistance in finding the king…"

The door opened, revealing the old man. He smiled. "Alright, lads. I'll help you." His gaze turned towards the angel. "What is your name, little angel?"

Pit grinned at Melledeus. "The name's Pit, sir, and I'm the representative from Angel Land! I need to find the king to give him our tribute."

"Ah, yes, of course. King Cornelius should be in the royal gardens right now or maybe perhaps in the courtyard. Please, follow me." The sage then walked off, surprisingly fast for a man of his age, the two boys following. After about 15 minutes of walking through the corridors and down some stairways, Link and Pit began to grow a little anxious. They were somewhat doubting that Melledeus knew his way. Just when one of them was about to say something, Melledeus led them outside in the bright sun. They were in the courtyard, and on a bench under a wooden trellis of morning glories was the king chatting amiably with Rusl.

The Hyrulian swordsman smiled. "Link, are you feeling better?" he asked kindly. Link smiled at his concern.

"Yes, Rus, I'm feeling a lot better," he replied happily. Rusl smiled back.

"Good."

"A-ah, King Cornelius!" Pit stuttered, stepping forward, holding out the bow and quiver. "I-I'm Pit. Please, it would honor my fellow angels and me if you were to accept Angel Land's tribute!" His wings fluttered in his nervousness. The King chuckled, taking the bow and quiver.

"Of course, Pit. I would be deeply honored to take such a beautiful weapon. It rivals the beauty of the sword and shield I received from Hyrule!" he laughed and took the offered gift.

The angel blushed. "Thank you! I'll be sure to inform the goddess Palutena of your praise. Its name is Ventus, the Greek word for wind." He then gestured vaguely to the runes written on the quiver, which did indeed say "Ventus."

The king nodded and said to both he and Link, "My son, as well as young Ike and Roy, are in the stables. They're about to go riding. Marth was rather worried about you, Link. You ought to see him," King Cornelius laughed merrily. Link smiled and nodded, and he led Pit over to where the stables were. Roy and Ike were outside with their horses, waiting, and Marth was just walking out with Tornac and Epona when they approached. They were all dressed in their regular blue clothing.

"I was wondering when you'd wake up, Link," Marth teased lightly, smiling. "I already saddled Epona for you because I figured you'd want to go riding with us." His gaze then turned towards the angel. "This is Roy and Ike. Do you want to go riding with us too, Pit?" He had met Pit earlier that morning, and, to be honest, he didn't really like the thought of leaving him behind.

Pit blushed. "Um…I don't know how to…"

"You can ride with me," Ike offered, stare unwavering. "Ashe won't mind." And, as if in agreement, his white mare nickered softly. Roy's red roan mare neighed in response.

"Ah…okay, if you don't mind." Ike snorted and grabbed Pit around the waist, easily lifting the light brunette up on his horse's saddle. The blue-haired teen got up in front of him. He raised an eyebrow at his companions.

"Well?" he drawled. "Are we going or not?" Roy grinned and mounted his own horse, Fyra. Marth got up on Tornac after handing over Epona's reins to Link and watching the Hylian get on his mare.

"I propose a race," Roy proclaimed, a grin still on his face. Fyra pranced around, eager to run. "First one to make a whole lap around the castle wins. The losers…" He paused for a moment and smirked. Marth paled. Whenever Roy smirked, it wasn't good. "The losers have to dress as girls!"

"…Are you kidding me?" Marth deadpanned. Ike snorted and Pit and Link blushed.

"Oh, sorry, Martha; I guess that'd just be normal for you!" Roy cackled. He yelped when he saw Marth's glare. "Uh…on three!" Everyone got their horses ready. They were all eager, pawing the ground, ready to run. "One…"

"Hold on, Pit," Ike whispered.

"…Two…"

"Huh?" Pit asked, confused.

"Grab on to my waist!" the bluenette hissed.

"Three!" Pit yelped and squeezed Ike as tightly as he dared when he suddenly lurched from Ashe's unpredicted burst of speed. Next to him, he saw Roy on Fyra and Marth on Tornac. Epona reared from behind them and burst into a fast canter, easily bypassing her competitors. Link stuck out his tongue playfully as he passed them all and urged Epona into a canter.

"Come on, Ike!" he cheered. "We can't lose!" Ike spurred Ashe on harder and eventually passed Link, Pit flashing a grin at the surprised Hylian. They stayed in the lead, but when they were about three-quarters of the way around the castle, Marth and Tornac were hot on their tail. Soon, they were neck to neck, and the stables were in view. They crossed the imaginary finish line and reared their horses to a stop. It was a tie. Link and Epona came not too soon afterwards, closely followed by Roy and Fyra.

"Gods," Roy moaned, burying his face into his mare's fiery red mane. "I can't believe I lost!"

"Who won?" Link huffed, pouting.

"Tie!" Pit chirped happily. "Tornac and Ashe reached the end at the same time!" Roy grumbled and tugged Link to Ellis's room to "borrow" some of her older dresses from when she was about their age. Unexpectedly, she was still in the room, but let them borrow her dresses after they explained their story. She just laughed her pretty blue-haired head off. The princess then left the room so they could change.

"This blows," Roy groaned, pulling on the pink floor-length gown that clashed terribly with his hair. Link glared, struggling with his white and gold dress.

"It was your idea," he reminded the redhead, finally able to get the dress on. "Now, lace the back up on mine, please." Roy complied. At least his dress wasn't like Link's and had in a built-in corset. He shivered at the thought as he fumbled with the laces.

The Pheraen boy then marched to the princess's balcony and shouted, "This good enough for ya, Marthy-boy?!" He growled when he heard his friends down below laughing and shook his fist. Roy then grew curious when Pit flew up and landed smoothly on the balcony, trying to hold back giggles.

"Marth and Ike say that you look like an old man in his wife's dress when you shook your fist," he laughed. "They also said that you two can change back when Link comes out so you two can unsaddle Fyra and Epona!" Hearing this, Link went on the balcony and blushed when he heard Ike and Marth laughing. Pit was unable to contain his giggles this time. He huffed and walked back into the room and changed, Roy doing the same. They then left with Pit to lead their horses back into the stables.

_Wow,_ Link thought to himself happily as he took the reins from Marth, _I never ever want this to end!_

But, of course, all good things come to a close.

* * *

Link pouted when he walked out of the castle. After a week of staying, it was finally time to make the long journey home to Ordon Village. Marth was walking with his arm slung around his friend's neck. He didn't want the Hylian to leave either, as well as Pit. The angel was stretching his visit as it was and had to go back to Angel Land. Ike and Roy had to leave too. When they reached the stables, Pit started sniffing.

"Bye, guys," the brunette said sadly, hugging his new friends. "I'll miss you."

Marth smiled a little. "We'll miss you too, Pit. Take care." After saying his farewells and bowing to the king, Pit took off flying, heading up towards the clouds. Link and Rusl walked into the stables, saddling their horses and led them outside. Link did the same as Pit and hugged his friends.

"Promise to come to the next anniversary?" he asked hopefully. The nations took turns hosting the celebration, and next time was Hyrule's turn.

Roy grinned. "You betcha we will!" Marth smiled and Ike just nodded.

The blonde let out a sigh of relief. "Good."

"Link," Rusl called out reluctantly, already on Timble after bowing to the king and shaking his hand. "It's time to go." Link pouted and mounted Epona. She seemed to be sad to leave as well.

"W-wait, Link!" Marth cried out. "Here." The prince held up his hand to Link, a little black velvet pouch in his hand. "Take it." The Hylian took the offered pouch and dumped the contents in his hand and gasped. It was a pair of magnificent blue hoop earrings. They were gorgeous, seeming to glow in the morning sun. "They…they were my mother's," the blue-haired youth added softly. Link's eyes widened.

"I—I can't!" he exclaimed. "Something so important to you—I mean, they were your _mother's—"_

"Take them," Marth interrupted, looking determined. "I want you to have them." The blonde boy finally caved.

"A-alright," he murmured, expression gentle. "If that's what you wish…I…thank you." He held the earrings lightly before carefully putting the back in the pouch, which he put in his saddlebag. Rusl smiled and took off with Timble. "B-bye, guys!" Link choked out and galloped away. Marth clenched his fists tightly and sighed.

The next ten years would be tough.

* * *

Was it just me, or was this kinda short? Ah well. See that green text? Click it and review!


	3. Authors note TT

Oh great, an author's note. This can't be good |D

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_**I'M DISCONTINUING THIS STORY**_

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-gets shotded and mauled by Jakeward, Marth/Link, and Mur/Era fans-

Rofl I'm kidding XDD I feel evil now...lol.

Oh snap. I'm sososososo sorry guys DDDDDX I have a lot of crap on my plate…so expect an update in another week ;;; Don't kill meeeeeeee, I'm too young to die! -holds up arms in defense-

But to keep you occupied…there's this really awesome vampire series called _The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod._ The three books out so far are: Eighth _Grade Bites, Ninth Grade Slays, and Tenth Grade Bleeds._ The author is Heather Brewer and her website is www. heatherbrewer. com (take out the spaces). You should read it…the main character sounds soooo cuuuute~! And Joss and Henry sounds sososo hot. I just finished the third one in three hours XD

But once again, I'm sorry T~T Forgive me? Once again, I'm sorry. I'm taking summer classes and they're gonna keep me busy. DX once again: I. Am. SORRY. I should HOPEFULLY update this weekend. We'll see |D Er…bye? -runs away in cowardice- =w=


	4. Seeing You Again

Okay, I decided to update this because it hasn't been updated in FOREVER, but don't expect to be updated again for awhile.

It's like 10.5 pages, reaaaally close to 4,000 words. ENJOY!

Unbeta'd, and I don't own anything :)

Also: on the Laguz thing, go look on the Fire Emblem wiki for more info~

* * *

"Prince Marth!" a man yelled loudly, throwing open the solid door leading to said prince's room. It hit the brick wall next to it with a loud bang. "Quick! We must flee the castle!"

The now fourteen-year-old teen's blue eyes flew open. "What is it, Jagen?" he exclaimed, quickly pulling on a tunic, his shoulder and chest armor, and his cape. He rushed over to the foot of his bed and reached inside a trunk, pulling out the sword and shield from Hyrule and the bow and quiver from Angel Land.

The paladin's expression grew pained. Jagen was a highly experienced paladin, his family loyal to the royal family for many generations. "The castle," he whispered. "It's under siege. And with the king gone—of all the terrible luck…" As if to emphasize this, several large booms could be heard, shaking the floor and ceiling. It was like a miniature earthquake. Marth froze. _Cannons._ "Quickly, my prince!"

"Very well!" the blue-haired prince proclaimed, buckling his rapier onto his belt. The shield was already strapped on his arm and the bow and quiver across his back.

"Let's go," Jagen hissed, grabbing the young prince's arm. "We'll use the secret passageway in the throne room!" They quickly ran to the throne room, which was almost directly under Marth's room. There they met Melledeus and Princess Ellis.

"My prince," Melledeus rushed, "we must leave at one!"

Marth turned his gaze towards his sister. "Ellis…!" She looked back from her position in front of the throne, gaze unwavering.

"I am staying, brother," the elder of the two whispered, face somber.

"S-sister! Ellis, please, reconsider…!"

"No." Her voice was final. "What they want is you, Marth. You are the only male heir to the throne. Go." She looked up, blue eyes glittering with tears. "I will stall them long enough for you to escape."

Tears began spilling from Marth's eyes. "Ellis…I…" he hugged her tightly. The booms intensified in strength, dust and small debris falling from the ceiling.

"Go," she whispered once more, resting her forehead against his. "Run. And don't look back, not once." Footsteps and shouts grew close, and the princess pushed her brother away from her. "Go!" she screamed. Marth then did what she told him.

He ran.

* * *

Link let a melancholy smile spread softly across his face as he rode through the familiar landscape. Altea and the sea that surrounded it looked stunning.

"It's beautiful, isn't it, girl?" he murmured softly to Epona, idly stroking her mane as she carried him onwards on a worn path to the Altean castle. She neighed, making Link laugh lightly. "Yeah, I know. You want to see Tornac, don't you?" She nickered and he smiled.

Link was now seventeen. It had only been six or so years after celebration, but Link was told by Princess Zelda to visit again. Right after Rusl and Link had gotten back, the only bridge connecting Altea and Hyrule had broken; it had fallen down the huge chasm that housed the great Zora's River. Either country had no idea what had happened to the other for six years, so the princess decided it was time to catch up. It had only now gotten repaired. Jeovani, the man who was cursed by Poes, was actually the person who paid for it, since he apparently had no use for his large sum of money.

The blonde Hylian grinned a little upon seeing the castle, immediately feeling a wave of nostalgia. He remembered the last time he came here…he was so shy and timid. Link blushed. What was he thinking? He was still shy and timid, just not to the extreme as he was before. He bit his lip as he thought of Marth. Was he like he was before? Did he turn nicer? Or did he turn meaner? Did he like wolves? Link winced a little at the thought. Probably not after that werewolf incident. The blonde fingered the left side of his neck gently. He still had a pale scar left over from then. His slender fingers slid down to wrap around a delicate metal chain. On it was a small fragment of the shadow crystal Midna used on him. He briefly wondered if he should tell Marth. He probably would end up doing so, but—

"Oi, you, on the horse!" Link turned around on Epona, halting her. He glanced around before looking at the man who called out. He was already near huge walls surrounding the castle, on the left side of a large gate. Huh. Time goes by fast when you're daydreaming.

"Me?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. The man snorted. He was shirtless, with many scars across his slightly tanned flesh, wearing some plain brown pants and brown leather boots. He looked a bit unkempt—his pants were extremely dusty and his reddish-brown hair was rather shaggy. The man was working on something, apparently fixing part of the wall that had been damaged.

"Yeah, you," the man sneered. "You filthy Laguz. Why don't you get off that poor beast? It does rank higher than you, after all!" Some other men working around him laughed and stopped what they were doing. This looked interesting to them. "Why are you here, of all places? Don't you have a master?"

Link blinked rapidly. "Excuse me? I-I'm here to see Marth." What on Farore's green earth was a Laguz? He frowned and dismounted Epona. He didn't want her getting hurt if there was a scuffle.

The man smirked and backed Link against the wall, placing his arms on either side of the Hylian. He was rather intimidating, more than half a foot taller than the blonde, probably standing over six feet tall. "You and your _kind_ need to be taught their place," he spat. "Calling the prince something so casual! What are you? A mutt, a dragon?" He grinned before he uttered the next one. "…Or a little pussy?" he jeered. The men around him began to taunt and laugh.

"If you don't mind, I would like you to move," Link said calmly. "I don't want to have to fight you, but I will."

The man snorted. "What, a little fairy like you fight? Leave the fighting to real men, boy. You need to be taught your place. My bed," he drawled, leaning his face down towards Link's. The other men started laughing again.

"I'll tear your throat out," Link growled. He often didn't get mad, but this was just getting ridiculous. He pushed the hulking man away with all of his might. The man backed off a little, but he didn't stumble, much to Link's disappointment.

"So you like to bite, eh?" the man mocked, smirking once more. "I like fighters like you. They're great in bed. Nice 'n wild." Link was very tempted to pull out his sword.

"McNar," a deep, cold voice rang out. All of the men turned and froze.

"G-General Ike!" the man now known as McNar stuttered.

"Ike?" Link whispered, shocked. "A general…" Ike's gaze turned to Link, his eyes widening. He then turned towards McNar, eyes now narrowing.

"What did you do to him?" he growled. "Did you hurt him?"

"I-I'm so sorry, General!" the man cried out. "I didn't know he was your concubine!" At this, Link turned beat red. Concubine…? (A/N: a concubine is like…a mistress, basically. Here: "a woman who is the lover of a wealthy married man but with the social status of a subordinate form of wife, often kept in a separate home, especially in imperial China.")

"He is _not_ my concubine," Ike growled. "Link is my friend."

The man's expression turned into one of disgust. "Friend? This Laguz?" Ike's brows knitted together.

"He's not a Laguz. He's a Hylian."

McNar's eyes widened considerably and he paled. "A Hylian…? Shit!" he turned towards Link and bowed his head. "I'm so sorry! Please, forgive me!" Man, first with that angel, Pit, and now with this Hylian…He shivered. Ike was beyond furious when he made fun of the brunette and thought he was a heron Laguz.

The blonde smiled. So there was a grudge against this race called the Laguz, huh? "You're forgiven," he said softly.

"Back to work, everyone!" Ike barked sharply. "Come on, Link," he said, sounding considerably warmer. "I'm sorry about that. Marth would die if he knew you were here." Link grabbed Epona's reins and made his way towards the stables, Ike leading the way. "He was actually thinking about postponing the reconstruction of the castle to visit Hyrule."

Link blinked in surprise. "Really? Why is the castle being rebuilt?" He looked around and saw, just like outside the walls, various crews working on repairing the castle. When they approached the workers, they'd often give Link a curious glance before saluting Ike, which he returned with a nod.

Ike's lips twitched in a frown. "You mean you don't know?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow. When Link shook his head and explained that the bridge had been broken, which meant no travel in between countries, the general sighed. "The castle got attacked and was under siege a year after the celebration." He turned around and snorted when Link choked. "Relax," he drawled. "Everyone's fine. Well…except the king. He passed on, as well as many brave soldiers. But Marth, his sister, and the princesses of all of the neighboring kingdoms are all okay." They both then entered the stables.

"Wow…" the Hylian commented as he led Epona in a stall. He grinned as he heard a familiar neigh. Tornac was in the stall beside her. "So much can change in six years…" He began to unsaddle her and take off her bridle.

"Yeah…" Ike replied idly, taking in Link's figure. The blonde had gotten a little taller—about 5'5" or 5'6"—but he was still pretty short. That didn't mean that he was lacking in his features—not by a long shot. Link's eyes were still as exotic and feral as the day he left, if not more so. He was now wearing what he had described to Roy, Marth, Pit and he as the mighty Hero's clothing, but with chain mail and a different sword. He smirked a little to himself when he spotted the earrings Marth had given him.

"Alright!" the Hylian proclaimed. "Let's go!" The bluenette's lips twitched in a small smile.

"Follow me," Ike called over his shoulder, taking long strides to the door. "You know, you should really catch up with Marth, Roy, Pit and I." For some unknown reason, the Crimean General turned a bit pink at the mention of the angel's name. Link grinned.

"Yeah, especially you, _General,"_ Link teased, a playful smile on his lips. Ike rolled his eyes as he entered the castle. They were now in a small antechamber with a doorway on each of the walls. The walls were decorated by pictures of Marth's ancestors, if the common blue hair was anything to go by. Over the door straight across from them was the Hero Anri. He had long, elegant cerulean hair that matched his eyes. He looked a lot like Marth.

"This just has the most famous rulers of Altea," Ike commented, seeing Link's curious gaze. "There is a hallway with paintings of every member of the royal family around here somewhere…" He shook his head. "Come. The throne room is right up ahead, which is where Marth should be." They both entered the larger chamber and Link gasped. It was beautiful—it could rival the throne room of Princess Zelda's. In fact, it was rather similar to the throne room of Hyrule, if not a direct copy. The main difference was that instead of the main throne having the goddesses, it had an intimidating dragon on the top, and there was a slightly smaller, somewhat less elaborate throne, which was presumably the queen's. It was still breathtaking. There were some people in the room working on it, one of the most notable being Pit.

"Link!" the angel cried from his place near the ceiling. He was examining a large crack but glided down and gave the Hylian a large hug, tackling him to the floor. His exclamation made many of the workers, which was only about ten or so, look up from their work and chuckle. They were used to the overexcited, if not somewhat cocky and over eccentric, angel. "I'm soooo glad to see you again!"

Link let out a musical laugh, giving the angel a radiant smile. "I'm happy to see you too, Pit!"

"Hey, Link, what about me?" Roy whined, jogging up to the blonde.

"I missed you too, Roy," he sniggered.

"…And what of me, Link?" an amused voice said. Link looked over, only to see Marth.

"Marth!" Link cried out. Pit crawled off of the poor green-clad teen and Marth helped the Hylian up.

"It's great to see you again, Link," Marth said softly, and it was. To his eyes, Link had only gotten more gorgeous, more beautiful, and oh-so-more tempting. He smiled and hugged the blonde, the other's head fitting perfectly under his own. The bluenette briefly noticed that Link was wearing his mother's earrings and his smiled widened. He pulled away and raised an eyebrow. "What's up with the necklace?"

Link flushed. "Er…well…" He fiddled with the chain a little, looking down. "I'd like to, um, tell you guys, but, uh, maybe somewhere more private?"

Marth smiled in amusement but nodded. "Very well. I guess we'll all go to my room, then." Marth couldn't help but feel déjà vu as he walked to his room. It was the same path he had taken, all of those years ago when the castle was attacked. It was only four years ago, though, not many. He was shaken out of his stupor when they reached his door and he opened it. They all sat down on the silky blue covers of his bed in a circle. (A/N: Er…square? lolol)

Link took a deep breath. "Well, it all started in the spirit Ordonna's spring…"

* * *

About forty-five minutes later, Link finished his story. He was stared at by the other four swordsmen. "And, well, that's about it," he laughed awkwardly. The blonde mentally congratulated himself when he didn't cry at the end when he described Midna leaving. Her leaving was one of the most painful things that had ever happened to him. "Well, and then the princess sent for me to deliver a letter. Oh yeah, the letter!" He pulled out a slightly wrinkled scroll out of one of the bags on his belt and handed it to Marth. The ruler of Altea broke the seal and gave it a quick scan, the others talking amongst themselves while he did so.

_Prince Marth, ruler of Altea, of the house of Anri:_

_I have sent Link of Ordon Village as a representative of Hyrule. I wish for you to act as if he were I. I am not able to leave Hyrule during this point of time, due to the rebuilding of Hyrule castle after some unfortunate events. Merchants on the west side of your kingdom have now begun to wander into my own kingdom, for which I am glad. I have invited one of said merchants, and he has informed me of what has happened to Altea. You have my most sincere condolences and it shames me Hyrule could do nothing. As Link may have told you, the bridge was out and we were busy with our own problems._

_I have also been informed of your father's fate. He and my father used to meet on friendly terms, and from what I can recall, he was a good man. My father's passing was hard on me as well, but I was even younger than you when I took the crown. As the queen of Hyrule (though I am still called princess and prefer to be), I wish you the best of luck when becoming the king. I would love to go the coronation, as well as Link, I'm sure. And speaking of Link…please help him. He is troubled. Midna was his closest friend, and her leaving was very harsh on him. Seeing you, I hope, has cheered him up. He has become my friend after the battle, and I do not like seeing him be hurt. Please send Link back with a response._

_Sincerely, _

_Princess Zelda_

Marth smiled as he finished reading Princess Zelda's elegant handwriting. It was nice to hear from her after all of these years, but then his thoughts turned slightly bitter. The coronation. He hadn't thought of it for a long time. And being king, he would be expected to be wed. Ugh. His advisors would probably want him to marry Caeda, Nyna, or, gods forbid, Zelda. Zelda was one of his best friends when he was little, and he didn't really feel comfortable with that situation at all. There were many princesses in the surrounding lands, but he didn't want to wed any of them. He then absentmindedly looked at Link. The blonde was blushing a little while talking to Pit, brushing back his bangs behind his long, tapered ears, only to have it fall back into place again. The sunlight from the window hit the metallic blue earrings just right, making them glow along with Link's wild eyes. No, not comfortable at all.

Marth flushed a little when he noticed he was staring and got up to write a response on his desk, sitting down at the writing table.

"Hey, Marth," a shy voice asked, breath ghosting across his ear in light puffs. "What did the princess have to say?" Marth flushed even more at the innocent act.

"A-ah, just that she wishes to come and visit after you go back," the bluenette replied, turning his head to look at Link.

"Oh…" the blonde mumbled, looking a bit crestfallen.

"But you're going to go with her!" Marth added hastily. "I bet she'll have you guard her carriage."

Link brightened up. "You think so?" Marth nodded and the Hylian grinned. "Neat! Well, I was wondering if I could stay here a few days to rest and maybe even help rebuild. It that okay with you? I mean, I don't want to intrude or anything…"

"No, that's fine! You can stay and rest, of course!" Marth exclaimed. "It would be wonderful if you wanted to volunteer. Plus, many of the people here haven't ever seen a Hylian—I'm sure that they'd love to have the chance to speak with you.

Link laughed. "I'd love to quench their curiosity! But I must admit, I am rather curious about one thing myself—what are Laguz? I got mistaken for one at the entrance."

Marth's expression grew slightly dark. "Ah, well, in Ike's country and the surrounding lands, there are two races—the Beorc, who are human, and the Laguz, who are people who can change into animals. They have distinguishable features, like the wolf Laguz have wolf ears and the heron Laguz have white wings."

"I…oh…" Hell, if Link had wolf ears instead of Hylian ears, he'd fit perfectly into the Laguz description. He wouldn't doubt it if Pit was mistaken for one too. "I don't see why people are prejudiced—Laguz sound pretty neat."

Marth smiled a bit at his friend's naivety. "Some people are just…bigoted fools." Link immediately thought of the Twili and being mistaken for a monster from the Twilight.

"I guess you're right."

* * *

Link wiped some sweat with the back of his left hand, panting. He was working outside of the huge wall where he was earlier harassed, half naked—the blonde was wearing his old sumo clothes, which were basically his traditional Ordon clothes but without the shirt. He had gotten many looks—mostly hateful, unnerving, and lustful—but some were curious and interested.

Currently, the blonde was working with McNar's group of people. Their job was to throw the debris of large stone and brick that had shattered by cannon fire into piles, which then was hauled by wagons to Nayru knows where. Marth was very wary about placing Link on this duty because of the hard labor and company, but the Hylian insisted since the work force was the smallest for this job.

Link grunted when he lifted a particularly large slab of the wall, and quickly threw it over to the pile that had formed some ways behind him. _Goodness, I'm happy I'm not out of shape,_ he thought wearily. He then froze when he heard a large bell from somewhere on the castle grounds being hit, followed by the fanfare-like sound of a trumpet. Everything seemed to grow silent for a few seconds, then all hell broke loose. The Hylian saw people from all other work stations scream and run, looking as if they were trying to seek cover, only to bolt into the castle. The men working on the wall with him rushed to find their weapons and shields, and some scrambled to get on their horses, looking fearful but prepared. Everyone who hadn't gone before now filed behind the protective walls of the castle.

"What in blazes is going on?" Link whispered to himself uneasily.

"…Link! LINK!" The hero's keen hearing picked up on Pit's desperate voice.

"Over here!" he yelled, scanning the skies for his friend. Instead he heard galloping, and saw Pit emerge from the wall's gate on Epona. They slid to a stop, and Link ran over to them. "What in the name of Din is going on here?" he exclaimed. The grounds in and around the castle seemed dead silent, as if waiting for something, anything.

"Something's been spotted in the sky," the angel muttered anxiously, sliding off the slightly jittery Epona. "Everyone went into the castle to prepare a counterattack. A Pegasus knight is going up to check it out. I'm not sure what it is, but it's big. We should probably get go—" He was suddenly cut off by someone screaming. It was a horrible, absolutely awful scream, one of pure terror and fear.

A scream someone would give as if they were about to die.

Link tried to search for the source of the screaming, but found it when he saw Pit's line of vision. "Holy mother of Palutena…"

The green-haired Pegasus knight had burst out of the clouds and was now dropping to the ground at breakneck speed, with her faithful mount having its wings and legs tucked in, trying to gather more distance from whatever was behind her. When it too broke through the clouds, Link and Pit gasped.

It was an enormous, dark, scaly dragon. It had to be at least the size of the Twilit Dragon, Argorok, if not larger. It was black, with large ivory spikes poking out from the tip of its head all the way down its spine to its tail, where unlike the Twilit beast, had a menacing-looking club that looked the size of Epona. It reared its large, ugly head open and spewed out a long red flame, barely singeing the knight's hair and her Pegasus's tail.

The Pegasus knight was quickly nearing the ground to the point Link thought that they'd crash before at the last second her steed flared out its feathery wings and glided through the front gate of the wall. The two felt the air rush next to them where the rider and her companion had just missed them. They then heard loud thudding behind them, and next felt the ground shake. The blonde whipped around and froze. Behind them stood the large dragon, eying them with its ruby red gaze.

Pit only uttered one unexpected word.

"Fuck."

TBC

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**Review~? :)**


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